EFCC has charged Katsina officials with N289 million in fraud. The EFCC accused the two Katsina State officials of misappropriating N289 million from the state for personal purposes.
On Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, charged two Katsina State Government account officials with fraud totaling N289 million. The defendants, Saadu Maiwada and Sani Lawal, allegedly committed the offenses while serving as Sub-Treasurer and Deputy Sub-Treasurer at the Accountant-General’s Office of Katsina State, respectively.
The defendants were charged before the Katsina State High Court on five counts of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust, according to EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren.
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In 2017, the accused allegedly plotted and converted N289 million from their personal accounts. “Investigation disclosed that the defendants laundered the stolen funds through the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited, a company owned by the first defendant (Maiwada).”
“The sum of N49, 000,000 was also allegedly transferred from the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited to the personal account of the second defendant (Lawal BK), who is now the Deputy Accountant General of the state,” according to the statement.
The offenders pled not guilty to the allegations and were later released on bail. Musa Danladi, the judge, delayed the trial till July 24. Press Release from the EFCC stated, Katsina’s Deputy Accountant General and One Other Arrested for N289 Million Fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, charged Saadu Maiwada and Sani Lawal BK before Justice Musa Danladi today. Maiwada and Sani awal BK were charged with conspiracy and criminal breach of trust on five counts before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court.
The defendants reportedly colluded and converted N289,000,000 (Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million Naira) from Katsina State’s coffers while serving as Sub Treasurer and Deputy Sub Treasurer in the office of the Accountant General of Katsina State.
According to the investigation, the defendants laundered the stolen monies through the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited, a company owned by the first defendant (Maiwada). A total of N49, 000,000 was reportedly moved from Integrated Gas Services Limited’s account to the personal account of the second defendant (Lawal BK), BK is now the state’s Deputy Accountant General.
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“That you, Saadu Miawada and Sani Lawal BK, sometime in 2017 at Katsina within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being entrusted with dominion over money belonging to Katsina State Government, dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N120,790,942.86 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Seven Hundred Ninety Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-two Naira, Eighty-six Kobo in 2021.
Katsina State Penal Code Law 2021″, When the allegations were read to them, both defendants pleaded not guilty. Aisha Tahar Habib, counsel for the prosecution, requested a trial date in light of their pleas. J B Israel, counsel for the defendants, presented an oral bail application on their behalf, but the prosecution opposed, requesting a written application because the court is a court of record.
However, Justice Danladi granted the defendants bail in the amount of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) apiece. Each defendant was ordered by the court to submit a guarantor with a landed property in Katsina as well as letters of introduction from a traditional ruler.
The trial date has been set for July 24, 2023.
